DETROIT - Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock may have found a way to keep Johan Franzen engaged throughout a whole game ... by having him center a forward line.

"I just want Mule to be dominant," Babcock said. "I think Mule is the X-Factor on this team. He's big, he's a good player, if we can (just) get him going at the highest possible level."

Babcock had Franzen center the Wings' second line Friday night against Colorado with Valtteri Filppula and Gustav Nyquist as his wingers.

"We said to him grab a line and take it," Babcock said. "With Fil, (he) gives him real good speed, and Gus makes good plays. I thought they were good (Friday)."

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Franzen was drafted by the Wings as a center, but because of their depth through the middle he's played pretty much solely on wing since he joined the team for the 2005-06 season.

He seemed to like his new role.

"It was fun," Franzen said. "(You're a) little bit more involved in the game, got some more pucks, a lot more skating, so it was fun.

"Usually when you're playing the wing you have a designated spot, you know where you're going to be, you're on your wing pretty much every time you go back and forth up and down, and you don't leave that," Franzen added. "As a center you can use your, what do you call it ... a little more freedom, you try to find openings and you go there. It's a lot more skating and less stopping."

The Wings are hoping this move pays off and makes Franzen a more consistent player that they're looking for.

Franzen won 8-of-13 faceoffs, had one assist, one takeaway and four hits on Friday.

"That's definitely a good thing, it would be bad if he didn't think I was one," Franzen said when he heard Babcock called him an X-Factor on the team. "I'm happy about that. I'm trying as hard as I can. It's something new and get a little boost maybe."

The move also allowed Babcock to rejoin Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk together, playing on a line with Justin Abdelkader.

"I just thought the energy level of our group wasn't great (Thursday) night," Babcock said. "I just thought this would give us some energy. I thought it did. Everyone's talking about Pav and Z, but I thought Mule was fantastic in the middle, dominated the faceoff circle, really played well, went head-to-head against (Matt) Duchene all night long and was very good."

DeKeyser impressive in debut

Taking a quick look at rookie defenseman Danny DeKeyser's line in his NHL debut Friday and his numbers aren't impressive, but his coach and teammates were impressed with how well he played.

"I liked him," Babcock after Friday's 3-2 overtime win over Colorado. "He's going to be a good player in the league for a long time. Obviously, he's got to get a lot stronger and just as he gets comfortable playing in his own end, but he skates so good and passes the puck so good and he's smart, good defender, makes it pretty easy to like him."

DeKeyser was paired with Ian White on the blue line.

"I thought he was really solid," White said. "Usually it takes a little while to get your feet wet, but I thought he was good pretty much from the get-go. Obviously (there are) a lot of nerves coming into a situation like this. It would be one thing to be a new guy starting the season but we're in pretty much a do-or-die situation every game, so to come in in a must-win game like this and be calm under pressure like that spoke volumes about him."

DeKeyser saw 16:36 of ice time, which included 1:35 shorthanded. He had three takeaways and two giveaways.

"The easiest way to get through any situation is to just talk," White said. "We had a chat before the game and it's nice to maybe lend some of my experience to him and help him through I'm sure a little bit of anxiety. We talked through it. I thought it went fine."

For his efforts, the Wings gave DeKeyser the game puck afterwards.

"After I got the first shift or two done, it was good to get those out of the way because I got my legs going a little bit, got the feet moving and started trying to make some plays," DeKeyser said. "So after the first two shifts, it was kind of like another game."

Quick turnaround

The Wings didn't fly back after Friday night's game like they normally do, instead opting to depart Saturday as they prepare for Sunday's afternoon tilt at home with the St. Louis Blues.

"Time change, you got to get back and get adjusted as quick as we can," Babcock said. "We're staying over and hopefully guys will get to bed here early and get ready to go. It's a big game for us."

The Blues are eighth in the Western Conference, a point behind the Wings. St. Louis also has played two fewer games than Detroit.

"I don't think it's going to be that difficult this time, it's a much shorter flight," said goalie Jimmy Howard, who will start against the Blues. "We get back at a much earlier time. I don't think it'll be that hard.

"Just show up and play," Howard continued. "I enjoy those games. Seems like the only bad one I ever had was the Chicago one. I enjoy the Sunday afternoon games and it'll be no different."

The Wings dropped a 7-1 decision to the Blackhawks last Sunday after coming back from an extended road trip to the West Coast.

"Look at the standings and every game from here on in is pretty much do or die," White said.